DHAKA,  – Bangladesh recorded 14 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 845 fresh cases overnight. The recovery count rose to 5,04,120 after another 1,117 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today. “Fourteen more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 8,476,” the release said.

It said the tally of infections has surged to 5,51,175 as 845 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. A total of 16,958 samples were tested at 219 authorized laboratories across the country during the time. Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 4.98 percent tested positive, while 13.24 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added. Among the total infections, 91.46 percent patients have recovered, while 1.54 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8.

Among 14 deaths, ten are male and four female the press release said, adding two are in their 40s, four in their 50s, while eight are above 60 years. According to the division-wise data, six deaths took place in Dhaka division. Among the total 8,476 fatalities, 4,741 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,567 in Chattogram division, 481 in Rajshahi division, 563 in Khulna division, 254 in Barishal division, 311 in Sylhet division, 363 in Rangpur division and 196 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release. A total of 41,63,163 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.

The DGHS said in order to make treatment facilities easily available for the COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians for round the clock in the country. It added that 2,38,16,828 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency healthcare services. To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.

As of March 08, 2021, 11:50 GMT, 2,606,690 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 117,501,471 confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics. China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province.